11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi

Have always fancied going to York.

Have booked a break over Easter and wondered if any of you had any good tips on things to do there with children.

Thanks

Clare

I used to live in York and still live fairly close by.

Try the National Railway Museum - an absolutely wonderful place which you could spend all day in, and it's free! It has a cafe and outdoor activities too, check out their website:

http://www.nrm.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Then there's York Castle Museum, website:

http://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/Page/Index.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also Clifford's Tower, a very interesting background to that! Website:

http://www.cliffordstower.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

..... and who could forget the Jorvik Viking Centre - an absolute must (but get there early!!) website:

http://www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All these things are quite close together, except for the railway museum, but even that's not too far to walk.

There is plenty more to see, but these are the best imo.

Shout if you want more!

I like:

The Walls
Railway Museum
Betty's
The River
The Minster
The Shambles

Not so keen on:
Jorvik

Ah yes, the walls (and some good little museums in one or two of the towers/keeps there too). Walking by the river is great and again free (like the walls and NMR - most important with kids!).

Betty's is lovely, but SOOOOOOO expensive (trust me on this!) and the Minster is lovely too but costs to get in and kids may not be so interested in it - a better bet is Ripon Cathedral, easily do-able if you have a car and it's free.

The Shambles is lovely, really lovely. Essentially a shopping street, but smothered in history

PS: I'm you don't like Jorvik, it's a fantastic place and really brings it alive for kids (and adults alike most times ).

agreed re Ripon!!! Also Fountains Abbey (National Trust) rather fun for kids - lots of climbing over ruins etc etc.. and if they like that sort of thing then Brimham Rocks (also NT is good).

Ho ho yes Betty's really for peaceful tea for two ......... (Ilkley a bit quieter!!)

Jorvik... hmm we just didn't think much to it - not sure what we were expected, both DCs and us disappointed.. but then maybe it was just that day!

Camp Eden - great if they are studying WW2

Pizza at ASK in the old assembly rooms

York Minster, of course

We took the kids to York for a couple of days and had a great time. Snowdrops has mentioned the places we went to although I must admit we had quite a good time at Jorvik but there was a place called DIG we went to near there which we enjoyed too. You did "fake" archaeology...digging around in pits with rubbery sort of "earth" in them to find various objects. DS was probably about 6 then and he enjoyed it. The transport museum had loads to see. The little shops area near the minster (is that the Shambles?) is nice to look around and I think I remember there being a good toy shop. Have fun!

Clare, how old are the children, and do you have a car?

I find Roman York fascinating. There's the Ninth Legion, which marched north out of York one day never to be seen again - children will love Rosemary Sutcliff's book "The Eagle of the Ninth". Also Constantine the Great, founder of Constantinople and first Emperor of Rome to convert to christianity, thus changing the western world forever, was proclaimed emperor at York. There's a statue of him outside York Minster.

Harrogate and Knaresborough are not too far away from York, Bolton Abbey is about an hours drive and is a lovely place as well